


Beauty and the Brother

by TrasBen



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A little bit of angst but what are you gonna do, Assume it's happening, Babybones (Undertale), Bath Time, But implied comfort, Child Dream, Cross is a good babysitter, Cross | Xtale Sans (Undertale), Dream is a bean, Dreamtale Dream (Undertale), Dreamtale Nightmare (Undertale), Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Nootmare is the best brother, bed time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27092536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrasBen/pseuds/TrasBen
Summary: Dream is Nightmare's brother, and Nightmare is the king. So obviously, Dream must be a princess. Right?
Relationships: Dream & Bad Sans Gang, Dream & Nightmare
Comments: 97
Kudos: 105





	Beauty and the Brother

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount/gifts), [TheCrimsonStoryteller](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCrimsonStoryteller/gifts).



In hindsight, Dream's interest in the story book Nightmare had read him before bed should have made his actions obvious.

That didn't make the way Dream's entire figure wilted, right in front of Nightmare, _or_ the rush of dissapointment that he could _feel_ from his (now) baby brother any easier to swallow.

* * *

Dream thinks it's going to be just like any other night when Cross ushers him to get ready for bed. He takes Dream to the very special room ( _his_ room!) Nightmare had set up and instructs him to prepare the bath while he gets out some pajamas for Dream to change into. 

Like any good soldier, Dream skips into the bathroom ajoined to his room, and starts getting all his bath things ready.

... But no matter how many times Dream turns the little lever, he will never get over the rush of amazement when he sees water start to gush from the spout. He dutifully checks the temperature the way Cross does, by letting water run over his phalanges before shaking the wetness off by flicking his fingers, every thirty seconds or so.

"Is it warm?" Cross asks, striding into the bathroom and shucking his jacket. He bypasses little Drean to check for himself, smiles, and plugs the drain to the tub. "Perfect! Now you can start getting undressed." 

Dream beams at the compliment and starts to tug at his clothes. Just as amazing as the flowing water is, the fact that Nightmare got him so many different clothes is super cool! Dream is used to... used to... a brief image of the village flits through Dream's memories, but he pushes it away.

"Dirty clothes need to be washed!" Dream recites, the exact words Nightmare had used when Dream asked why he had to change out of his first outfit, after he'd spilled some soup on it. "It's proper manners." He tosses them to the corner of the bathroom, tragically missing his laundry basket by a few inches.

Oh, well. Bath time, now!

Cross chuckles and starts to roll his sleeves up to his elbows. Dream hops (not literally, Nightmare had scolded him by pointing out that Dream could easily slip and fall by doing that...) into the tub, sitting cross-legged. The water is up to his hips, and quickly rising. He pulls down a few of his toys, some boats and little monster figures, from the ledges of the tub and starts to play around.

Bath time is nothing exciting, just Cross listening to Dream's idle chatter as he moves his toys around the tub and ocassionally makes splashes. Cross asks Dream to stand after awhile, so he can scrub him with a soft, soapy brush.

Dream's favorite part is when Cross has him hold out his hand as he scrubs in between his finger bones very well.

By the end, Dream is a _very_ clean skeleton.

Cross pulls the clean little skelton out of the tub by his under arms and chokes on his own laughter as he has to to dodge the flecks of water that fly off of Dream when he purposefully rattles his bones.

Dream laughs for a long time after that, but lets Cross dry and wrap a towel around him like he's a burrito with drooping sockets a few minutes later. 

He still has enough energy left for a round of shrieky laughter when Cross claims that Dream makes a very _delicious_ burrito and threatens to eat him before attacking with tickles, though. Dream waddles as fast as he can back into his room all wrapped up as he is, and flops against the side of his bed, shaking with silent laughs.

There are no complaints when Cross picks Dream up again and sets him down on his bed, next to the pajamas he got out. They're soft and a bright yellow. A long sleeved button up and some baggy pants with an elastic waistband.

Dream even manages to do all of the buttons on his top by himself!

It's when Cross is tucking Dream in that the door to his room creaks open, and he sees the silouette of a skeleton with multiple protrusions from his back, clear from the contrasting light of the hallway. Dream smiles and calls out to his brother.

"Nighty! You're home!" He sits up in bed and Cross nearly fusses about the ruined tucking. But the monochrome skeleton only stands a little straighter and turns to salute his boss.

"Welcome back, Boss." He says after Dream.

Nightmare inclines his skull in acknowlegement to Cross, but makes a bee-line for Dream. "I found something." He tells the two. It's subtle, but the way his tentacles are poised and the quickness of his gait reveal that he's excited.

"For me?!"

It's enough to have Dream nearly bouncing in his seat, clapping his hands a little as Nightmare crosses the room. Cross stands aside helpfully so Nightmare can gently sit on the bed next to Dream and pull out a thick book from his inventory.

Almost as if it's an afterthought, Nightmare looks back up at Cross from the book. "You're dismissed." He says, not unkindly.

Cross salutes him again, "I'm standing post tonight?

"As usual." Nightmare nods.

Before the guard can leave, Dream catches his attention by waving. "Goodnight, Cross!" He calls, a tired but genuine smile on his face.

"... Yes, goodnight, Cross." Nightmare tacks on, looking slightly to the side.

Cross spares smile of his own, "Goodnight, Dreamer, Nightmare."

He closes the door behind him softly, and the room is dim with only the light of a few magical candles here and there. It's still light enough to read, though, so Nightmare settles in besides Dream, above the covers. He puts the book in his lap and crosses his ankles.

Dream hugs Nightmare's arm and looks over at it.

"F...Fairy... tales." He reads aloud, "what is that?"

Nightmare cracks the book open across his lap and runs his fingers along the rough page. "It's a book of stories. They are... quite popular among humans in the multiverse. I have a collection of the original versions, but I find that they are not..." Nightmare gives Dream a side-long look, "... appropriate for children. This version is much better suited."

"Wow." Dream whispers. "Did it take you all day to find it? Is that why you were gone?" When he looks up at Nightmare with those bright eye lights, the elder has to glance away.

"No. I was busy with... other things. This book was a... lucky find." Nightmare flips a few pages forward and comes to a page with large words on the front that Dream has to squint to make out.

"Beaut...ty and the... B...Beast." He reads curiously. "What is this one about?"

Nightmare smiles and stokes the top of his younger brother's skull with a tentacle. "You'll have to wait and see. And that is called..." He trails expectantly.

"Patience!" Dream answers happily. "I am a very patient skeleton."

"Correct." His older brother replies, pleased.

Dream leans up against Nightmare as he starts to read. It isn't long before the little guardian is pulled in by the story of the village beauty, Belle. A few times Dream even interrupts Nightmare with a face scrunched in confusion.

"Why do the villagers say mean things about Belle if she's so good?" Dream asks. 

"Hm?" Nightmare glances at Dream and hums. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she..." Dream pauses. "She's very pretty and she likes to help people, and they like it when she helps, so they should like _her,_ too. But they all call her weird behind her back. They.. they don't like her, they like... that she's... nice."

...

"...That's just how people are." Nightmare says softly. "They only ever like what you can do for them." He's ready to move on from this slightly heavy topic, but Dream continues to press.

"That's not true!" The small skeleton protests, "You like Cross and Killer and Dust and Horror, right? Not because they do things for you, but because you like _them..._ right?"

Nightmare freezes for the smallest fraction of a second.

Isn't that true? He had originally aquired them specifically _because_ he knew they would useful, but he hadn't claimed to particularly _like_ then back then. Nowadays he can safely say that he appreciates his boys beyond what they do for him (although that will probably always be a large part of it), but Nightmare isn't sure that's quite the answer Dream is looking for.

"Well, yes." He replies after awhile, "that is right."

Nothing like the inquiries of a child to make you question your moral being.

"So then the people in the village... maybe they're just not so good." Dream concludes, still with that same hesitant expression.

"Maybe." Nightmare says. "Maybe. Now let me move on with the story."

Several more times Dream interupts. He gasps when Belle's father is captured, and giggles when the cast of living furniture is introduced. And he smiles very widely whenever the Beast dances with Belle.

"They all thought he was bad," Dream grins sleepily, "but he's actually veeeerrryyy nice."

"To Belle." Nightmare mentions.

"And to his friends." Dream counters.

"You think his servants count as friends?" The elder questions.

"They must." And Dream says it with such conviction that he leaves no room for argument. Of course the Beast is friends with his servants. He simply _must_ be.

Nightmare almost wants to end the story there, wary of the climactic ending. But Dream is too eager for that, so, he presses on. He cringes as he reads about the villagers gathering up pitchforks and torches. He can feel Dream's silent dread as he listens.

When Gaston shoots the Beast, Dream starts to tear up and sniffle, which turns to a low sob.

Nightmare _quickly_ puts the book down, regretting indulging Dream the ending, but his brother scrambles to cling to the book as he sobs.

"NooOOoo," Dream cries, "W-whyyy did h-he huuuurt himmMm?"

Nightmare does his best to pry Dream off of the book and sooth him with pets from his tentacles. "I don't know." He lies. Dream doesn't need to know about things like hatred, not as young as he is now. "I don't know." He lies again.

Dream lays back in bed and sniffles some more. Nightmare keeps the book in his lap and regrets.

After a minute, Nightmare feels a gentle tugging at the hem of his shirt. Dream is looking up at him miserably, with visible tear tracks still running down his face.

"I want to know what happens at the end." He tells Nightmare.

Nightmare goes to refuse him, then pauses. Thinks. The story can't possibly get lower from here, and the ending is a happy one, so...

"Alright."

As Nightmare picks back up where he left off, with Belle crying over the Beast's body, he can hear Dream make another pathetic noise.

"She's going to miss him so much." Dream says sadly. Something twists up in Nightmare at that, so he just continues the story, narrating Belle kissing the Beast. When he describes the magical transformation that takes place, Dream's breath catches.

There's a rush of more tears, but all Nightmare can feel off his brother is relief.

At the end, when Belle marries the new Prince and becomes a princess, Dream has a tiny smile.

"She saved him." Dream states, "because she loved him. And he was good."

"Yes." Nightmare closes the book, and Dream doesn't protest this time. He slips off the bed and makes to tuck Dream in once again. The small guardian complies easily, looking thoughtful.

"Am I a princess?" Dream asks suddenly.

Nightmare blinks. "Pardon?"

Dream repeats himself, "am I a princess? You're my brother, and you're a king, so... am I a princess?"

" ..." Still reeling at the suddeness of the question, Nightmare replies slowly. "If you'd like to be one, you can."

"Okay." Dream says, but as Nightmare turns to leave, he speaks up yet again. "I love you."

Nightmare stops. "I love you, too." He starts again to the door.

Just as Nightmare is reaching for the handle, he's assaulted by yet another question.

"Are you going to sleep?" Dream asks.

"... Yes."

"In your room?" Dream presses further.

"Yes." Nightmare repeats. "Like I always do."

"M'kay. Goodnight."

Slightly suspicious, Nightmare turns the handle on the door and opens it slightly. "Goodnight, brother, sleep well." Then, he leaves, shuts the door behind him, and heads for his own room.

He doesn't notice that Cross has already fallen asleep outside the door to Dream's room.

* * *

Dream states up at his ceiling for a long time, trying to remember what every flower in the castle garden looks like. He does this so he can stay awake longer, long enough for Nightmare to fall asleep.

Which is a long time, because adults do not sleep nearly as well as kids.

When Dream is certain that Nightmare must be asleep, he slowly slides off of his bed. The floor is cold against his feet but he pads over to his door and cracks it open, just a bit. Cross is there, outside in the hallway. He's supposed to guard Dream. All of the others take turns doing it.

But Cross is fast asleep, sitting on a wooden stool with his back to the wall. It doesn't look very comfortable, so Dream runs back to his bed to drag a smaller blanket of the end. He quickly drags it to the hall and drapes it over Cross. The guard doesn't even stir. Dream grins in victory and leaves him to search for Nightmare's room.

When he gets there, he is careful to be silent as he sneaks in. Sure enough, Nightmare is laying on his bed, sockets closed. He would have asked Dream what he was doing here if he was awake, so Dream proceeds.

He gets up onto his tippy toes by the bed and puffs out his cheeks.

He loves Nightmare a whole lot. Probably even more than Belle loved the Beast. And if she could fix _him_... then...

Dream leans forward to place a kiss on Nightmare's sleeping face.

He waits.

.. . Nothing happens.

Dream kisses Nightmare again.

And again, nothing happens.

Frustrated, Dream pouts. He tries one more time to place a particularly firm smooch on Nightmare, and his brother begins to stir.

Dream holds his breath, and Nightmare's eye sockets open. The small skeleton is suddenly faced off with one large teal eye light.

Shuffling noises follow as Nightmare wakes up, "Dream...?"

"It's not working!" Dream blurts.

"... What?"

"The magic!" He rushes to explain, "I was supposed to kiss you, and then you would go back to how you were, so everyone could like you like I do. B-Because I love you, and I'm a princess, and you're good..."

Nightmare remains uncomprehending, until Dream adds, "like Belle did..."

"Oh..." Falls out of Nightmare's mouth before he can catch it. "Oh, Dream, that's... that isn't real. It was only a story."

"What?" Dream sounds so small.

This is...

The door is suddenly thrown open, startling both Dream and Nightmare. In the hall stands Cross, blanket draped over his shoulders haphazardly. His sockets are wide, his eye lights small.

"Dream...!!" Cross explains, "his door was open and he wasn't in his room, I..." the words die as he takes in the current scene, with Dream in tears and a disgruntled Nightmare still in bed.

The silence doesn't last for long, as Dream launches himself at Cross and starts to cry. Cross looks helplessly up at Nightmare, who stares back blankly.

"Take him..." Nightmare starts, only for his throat to go dry. It takes a moment to regain himself. "Take him back to his room."

Cross nods, but his questioning stare burns into Nightmare until he and Dream are out of the room.

Fuck.

_Fuck._

**Author's Note:**

> notes:
> 
> *nightmare was excited to share the book w dream because nightmare loves books and he wanted to share a hobby he thought dream would enjoy  
> *dream is about six years old in this fic  
> *dream equates cross to the clock guy and killer to the candle guy in beauty and the beast  
> *nightmare has been lying to dream by telling him the tree and village are fine, due to the fact that dream lost his memories of That Night and forward
> 
> ___  
> tbh i had a dream kid fic in my head and i just so HAPPENED to read the comment thread bookwyrm posted and i saw that princess dream was brought up and well...... you lured me out of my damn hibernation >:0!!!!
> 
> this means nothing!! hibernation still in effect!!!! happy halloween christmas AND new years because i definitely WONT see any of you till then!!! 
> 
> hugs and kisses >:/!!! i love all of you!!!! >:///
> 
> but YOU especially, yes YOU


End file.
